Recombinant DNA in eukaryotes is responsible for increasing genetic diversity. Alleles of genes that were previously linked on a chromosome can be completely redistributed to create new combinations of traits. In genetic engineering, scientists use recombinant DNA created in the laboratory or extracted from an organism to add to the genome of another organism. Because of the universal design of DNA, the recombinant DNA does not have to stay in the same species.

Recombinant DNA Examples

Meiosis in Eukaryotes

Eukaryotic organisms that go through sexual reproduction must also go through the process of meiosis, which reduces the genetic material leading to fertilization. During meiosis, the chromosomes of eukaryotes are condensed, and pair with their homologous chromosome. Each pair of homologous chromosomes represents the same sequence of DNA, from different parental origins. When the homologs are connected during meiosis, they can exchange similar sequences of DNA is the process of crossing-over.

While each organism has tens of thousands of genes, the number of chromosomes is much smaller. This necessitates that there be more than one gene per chromosome, hundreds usually. If genetic recombination did not take place, variety between these genes would be limited.

For example, pretend that there are only two alleles for coat color in a population, black and white. There are also two alleles for eye color, brown and blue. If the gene for eye color and the gene for coat color exist on the same chromosome, they are called linked genes. Without recombinant DNA, an organism could only pass on the combination of alleles that was passed from its parents.

Insect Resistant Crops

Genetic engineering and recombinant DNA are widely used in modern agriculture. For centuries, farmers have been trying to make their crops resistant to both insects, and the herbicides used on weeds. With the advent of genetic engineering, scientists are able to identify and segregate genes of interest and place them in crop species.

To increase insect resistance, for instance, scientists have placed genes from bacteria into the DNA of corn, cotton, and other crops. The genes they selected produce the protein Bt. This protein is lethal to insect larvae that eat it. Scientists create recombinant DNA from the genomes of these bacteria. The recombinant DNA is then inserted into the genome of the crop being protected. When the new plants start to grow, their cells express the bacterial DNA and the protein Bt is produced.

Farmers that do not grow genetically modified crops must spray their crops with pesticides, which are very expensive. Crops that produce Bt protect themselves as they grow. This is important, considering that crop-eating insects do over a billion dollars of damage annually. With genetic engineering, this loss could be averted.

Gene Therapy

Sickle-cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects many millions of people worldwide. The condition actually increased in prevalence because in it milder forms it confers resistance to malaria. Like many genetic disorders, there is currently no cure. Patients with sickle-cell disease must undergo a variety of dangerous procedures to extend their life.

However, gene therapy is an emerging medical technique that uses recombinant DNA to restore function to cells stricken by genetic disorders. Sickle-cell anemia was one of the first diseases to be reversed by gene therapy. Mice with the sickle-cell traits were treated by Harvard researchers by delivering the recombinant DNA for proper blood cell formation through an altered HIV virus. Since HIV has a proclivity for the immune system, it readily deposited the recombinant DNA into stem cells taken from the host.

The same concept has been used in humans as early as 1990, although mass treatment is still not available. The use of viruses with recombinant DNA is a contentious subject, as a virus can self-replicate and could reproduce in the environment. While the full consequences of recombinant DNA are unknown, their many benefits continue to pressure policy-makers and the public into accepting them. With the proper guidelines, recombinant DNA technology is sure to revolutionize the world in a positive way.

Uses of Recombinant DNA

Scientists can use this feature of DNA for many purposes. First, any gene of interest can be easily replicated by inserting the gene into a bacterial plasmid and letting the bacteria reproduce normally. Plasmids are small rings of DNA. If the exact sequence of the plasmid is known, a scientist can cut the ring open using special proteins called restriction enzymes.

Once the plasmid is opened, the gene of choice can be inserted. If all the right sequences are present, the bacteria that absorbs the plasmid will produce the protein encoded for by the recombinant DNA. Further, when the bacteria reproduce, the gene will also reproduce. Bacteria can double their population in less than an hour, which can lead to large bacterial populations producing large amounts of a product for scientific, medical, or industrial purposes. The DNA of viruses can also be recombined, to deliver specific genes and proteins to cells in an organism.

Quiz

1. A bacteria is dividing through binary fission. While duplicating its genome, a mistake is made. While the first daughter cell is identical to the original cell, the second contains a mutation. The mutation causes a specific protein to function faster, and produce more product. Oddly enough, this gives the bacteria resistance to a certain bacterial virus. Does the second cell contain recombinant DNA?

A. Yes

B. No

C. Only if the bacteria contains a plasmid

2. A researcher extracts the gene that produces insulin and places it within a plasmid. The researcher inserts the plasmid into a bacterial cell. The cell reproduces many times, creating many bacteria. Do all of these bacteria have recombinant DNA?

A. Only the ones with strands of the original recombinant DNA

B. None of the cells do once the first cell has divided and died

C. All of the cells contain recombinant DNA

3. Which of the following is NOT an example of recombinant DNA?

A. In a horse, crossing-over occurs, which redistributes genes onto different chromosomes

B. Scientist insert genes from a flower into cows, causing them to smell nice

C. A virus infects a cell, and hijacks cellular mechanisms to reproduce

D. All of the above

4. Which of the following are uses of recombinant DNA?

A. Giving crops resistance to insects

B. Editing the genes present within a patient's body

C. Giving goldfish a gene that makes them fluoresce

D. All of the Above

5. A gene from a jellyfish which produces a fluorescent protein is placed within the genomes of a pig and of a fish. The fish expresses the protein in all of its tissues and glows brightly under UV light. The pig only expresses the fluorescent protein in its eyes. Why would these organisms express the recombinant DNA differently?